An Agent of Darkness
by Electron Beam
Summary: When events are too important to leave to fate, The Agent takes matters into his own hands.
1. The Agent

I: The Agent

Life in Radiant Garden was a simple affair for most citizens. People tended shops, ploughed fields, cooked meals, and everything else needed to keep a small city running smoothly. The residents made their livings, paid their taxes, and quietly went about their lives. The only times the police were needed was for channeling crowds during large public events. The word 'soldier' had nearly vanished from people's vocabulary. Peace had come to stay during Ansem the Wise's reign.

Every morning, the local newspaper was delivered to each door by young boys on skateboards or bicycles. The smell of brewing coffee permeated the air as each household prepared for the coming day. As the sun rose higher into the sky, the market district became more and more crowded as people began their daily errands. In the summer, many small carts were set up as street vendors began peddling their wares. In the winter, delicious smells wafted from bakeries as they prepared for the holiday season. When evening came, the stores emptied and the restaurants filled as workers and their families took a day off from cooking and sat down for a hot meal. Gradually, people made their way home, and the streets emptied. Radiant Garden slept, awaiting the sun's rise and the beginning of a new day.

There was a group of people, however, that did not readily integrate into Radiant Garden's daily routine. They left their homes before sunrise, entered the castle, and were not seen again until dusk. In taverns, they were the only people who didn't get asked how their day was. They were willing to talk cordially about anything else, but when conversations drifted towards the day's labor, they stayed tight-lipped. To a traveler passing through, the only way to tell these people apart from the average citizen was a small pin worn on their collar: the Seal of the Sage.

Most people assumed these government workers were involved in some kind of astronomic research, as they had stayed in the castle later and later since a large meteor shower had graced the skies. Nobody knew what kinds of experiments were being run in the depths of Ansem's secret laboratory. It was better that way. If the people knew what had been discovered, or worse, what had been created there, peace would never return to Radiant Garden.

Xehanort didn't mind keeping secrets from the public. In fact, he wanted to keep everything under wraps so that the local sense of morality wouldn't get in the way of his experiments. How could he jeopardize his work when he was making such amazing discoveries? The citizenry wouldn't understand. He'd be labeled a 'monster' and Ansem would be forced to banish him. And that was the best-case scenario.

Yes, secret was the ideal way to operate in Xehanort's line of work. Most people didn't have an inkling of the power contained in each heart, nor did they want one. And if Ansem's right-hand man had his way, they never would.

He had assumed for the longest time that their cloak of secrecy was airtight; nothing got in, nothing got out. However, research as groundbreaking as his own could not stay bottled up forever. He knew at some point somebody would slip. A little too much liquor after work one day, a bribe from a wealthy and curious citizen, a demand for information by the public… all had been considered as possible breaches of security. Xehanort expected it sooner or later. While he dreaded that day, he always assumed it would be later rather than sooner.

That was his worry every day when he turned in his daily report, today more so than ever. He rapped twice on the door to Ansem's study.

"Come in," a deep voice replied, "I assume you want to share your results with me, Xehanort."

The young scientist opened the door and bowed to his superior. "I don't know how you do it, Master. All of my colleagues are just as likely to make a report at any given time as I am, yet you correctly identified me again." He approached Ansem's large desk and placed his work on it. "I am beginning to wonder if you are clairvoyant."

Ansem laughed, the sound echoing from deep inside the old man. "And I am beginning to wonder if you question my intelligence, Xehanort. All of your colleagues have left for home, with the exception of Ienzo." He put on his reading glasses and picked up the report, quickly reading the abstract. "But of course, he's in the library again," Ansem mumbled, his eyes following the report's sharp formatting. "Please, sit. There's no need to stand at attention."

Several minutes of silence followed. Xehanort patiently awaited his superior's reaction to the data collected that day. Though the clues were subtle, the researcher had worked with the sagacious ruler for long enough to read his expression. A slight widening of the eyes, minute quickening of breath. He was almost at the end. Xehanort could see Ansem pause and reread a small segment of text. He had reached the unlikely yet irrefutable conclusion of years' worth of research.

"Xehanort, this… this is _incredible,_" Ansem slowly dictated. "It's not just a legend?"

Smiling, Xehanort rose from his chair. "I triple-checked my figures. With enough hearts, it is actually possible to summon Kingdom Hearts. _The_ Kingdom Hearts." Somberly, he added, "Though where we could _get_ that many hearts is another matter."

Ansem removed his glasses and set the report back on his desk. "It doesn't matter. The mere theoretical possibility of Kingdom Hearts means that we have gravely underestimated the power of each individual heart." He leaned back against his chair. "Now I understand why those creatures we created are so strong."

Nearly a half an hour of technical discussion followed. When Xehanort finally left the study, he was elated. This would surely allow him to work clear through the next decade unobstructed. He walked through the halls with the closest thing to a bounce in his step as he ever got. It earned his many a strange look, as the denizens of the castle were accustomed to seeing him walk stiff as a board with a mildly short temper.

He took a shortcut that was usually reserved for maintenance staff, but nobody ever bothered him about it. Normally, the darkened passage was empty, which is why Xehanort's heart skipped a beat when he heard a voice behind him.

"You weren't the first."

He whipped around, expecting to see a jealous colleague in a white lab coat. He saw nothing. His eyes, still adjusting to the darkness, did not see the teen leaning a recessed door, dressed in dark clothes. When it became obvious that the scientist could not see him, the boy left his hiding spot, standing near a dim light.

Though taller than the teen by several inches, Xehanort's first reaction was to shrink away from him. The dim light cast strange shadows across the boy's sharp features, making his expression unreadable. His clothing was halfway between stylish and functional. Though mostly black with many pockets, there were gray accents on many parts. And though the light was hardly enough to be sure, Xehanort could have sworn he saw a sheathed knife in front of the boy's left shoulder. Whoever this was, he was no mere child.

The teen smiled and shook his head. "For a scientist who thinks he just made a huge discovery, you're taking my news awfully well."

Xehanort wanted to challenge the boy's haughty statement immediately, but thought it wise to find out more about the intruder before security came looking for him and beat the teen into unconsciousness. "Who are you?"

"I'm someone with very important information. You barely scratched the surface of my research with your report." The mysterious figure opened a pocket on his vest, producing a small object. "This is at least five years ahead of you. _If_ you were to buckle down and get to some real science."

He tossed the object to Xehanort, who deftly caught it. It was a clear case with a piece of tape on the top where a label was written. Inside was a small orange-tinted crystal that Xehanort recognized instantly – a super-dense memory crystal. On the tape, written in neat capital letters, were the words _Report: Subject 031 – Strife, Cloud_.

"That information is incredibly dangerous in the wrong hands. You must not allow it to be used by anyone with malicious intent. You know how to destroy a memory crystal, right?"

For the first time, Xehanort was able to put aside his panic and fear to allow his normal, arrogant self to shine through. "Of course. You just drop it on something. It's not rocket science."

The teen chuckled. "This coming from the man whose research was just rendered moot by a kid with a hunch. Excuse me if I have to make sure you know what you're doing."

Xehanort could feel anger rising in him. "Moot? You think this is even close to the kind of work I'm doing? I'm at the premier research facility for this subject in the world. How do you get off saying you just rendered my research moot? I ought to smack you where you stand!"

"I wouldn't do that if I were you."

"The hell you wouldn't! Get over here, you smug bastard!"

* * *

"Sir? Sir, what happened to you?"

Xehanort was vaguely aware that the voice he heard was talking to him. He wondered why he was being woken up so early, and is his own home, to boot. Nobody but his core group of colleagues knew where he lived, and this voice was nothing like any of theirs.

Slowly, he began to register some discomfort. This was not his bed. But it didn't feel like any floor surface in his house. It was a cold, hard surface. In fact, it felt like concrete.

The odd revelation brought the scientist closer to consciousness. He wasn't even in his own house. This was the maintenance corridor he took on his way out of the castle when he wanted to leave quickly. The voice was that of a security guard. The pain in his wrist was from… a pair of handcuffs?

Xehanort looked in dumb shock at the pair of metal rings chained together. One was fastened securely around his wrist, and the other was locked to a pipe that disappeared into the concrete floor.

"Wha… what's going on?"

"Somebody contacted us when you didn't check out an hour after you usually leave. We talked to Ansem, and he said you had left around 9:00. I found you here after almost 2 hours of searching this damn place."

The scientist shook his head, which had started throbbing during the guard's explanation. "So… what am I doing handcuffed to a pipe?"

"I don't know, sir, but it probably has something to do with the gash on your forehead."

Xehanort reached up to feel his forehead. His hand met gauze and tape. "Sir? Do you remember what happened to you? It looked like you had been hit hard with the butt of a knife."

In a flash, he remembered the incidents from earlier. The mysterious boy. The quip about his research. The crystal. "No," he lied, "why would someone want to attack me? I've done nothing wrong. And I'm in the castle. This place is supposed to be safe/"

The guard nodded in agreement. "I'll say. My boss is getting reamed right now for not keeping the last shift up on their patrols. Apparently somebody forgot to tell him that their special lady friend was in town today and that he'd be missing his shift.

_Did that boy really create a hole in our security all by himself?_ Xehanort wondered. If so, then he was even more dangerous than it seemed. Given that it seemed like the boy had quickly and efficiently put the scientist out of commission, it could safely be said that he was a threat.

Over the next few hours, Xehanort was checked by various medical teams, interviewed by the head of security, and finally was collected by Ansem himself and led off to his study. After making sure that his subordinate was not permanently injured, he departed, offering Xehanort his offices overnight accommodations. He gladly accepted and bid Ansem good night.

Once the sage had left, Xehanort produced the memory crystal that he had stored in his lab coat and accessed the main computer. The data left him absolutely stunned. When the teen had said that it was five years ahead of Xehanort's research, it had been a conservative estimate. The conclusions reached were beyond his wildest dreams. Staggering discoveries about power and the potential consequences of losing one's heart were made.

Xehanort finished reading the report after several hours. He left the terminal in shock, wondering how he would be able to sleep after receiving such a huge amount of information. As he removed his lab coat, a small shred of paper fell from his pocket. He picked it up, unfolding it and reading the neat handwriting.

_Sorry about your head._

_Got a little carried away with the knife._

_Have fun with the data!_

_-Jet_

_The Agent_


	2. The Candidate

II: The Candidate

_You have been selected for evaluation._

He didn't exactly hear the words. As far as he could tell, there was nobody around to have spoken them. In fact, there was nothing around him at all. He couldn't even tell what he was standing on. There was just blackness.

_You will be subjected to a series of tests. Your progress will be monitored and your performance evaluated._

_The tests will begin in ten seconds._

The voice in his head was decidedly not his own. It was cold, emotionless, and genderless. If he was a test subject for some kind of bizarre experiment, he could think of no better way for that voice to have no influence on his ability or motivation.

Before he had time to think further, an ascending series of floating platforms appeared in front of him. They were completely featureless, just light gray boxes shaded to indicate faces of the surface. He walked towards one, assuming that the test was to climb to the highest one.

Just before he reached the first platform, however, he felt himself plunge into freefall. Reflexively, he reached out to the first platform, barely gaining a handhold on the far edge. He pulled himself onto the platform, which bobbed slightly in response to his movements. He calmly jumped to the next platform, which also bobbed as he put his weight on it.

Each platform was slightly higher and farther away than the last. By the last few, he had to push himself to jump far enough to get a grip on the far edge. He nearly fell off the last one; his left hand maintained just enough grip to allow him to pull himself to his feet. Once he had perched himself on the final grey box, he looked around for other challenges, but none appeared.

_Well done. You performed within expected parameters for your physical ability, in line with 94 percent of test subjects. The next test will begin in 10 seconds._

As promised, ten seconds passed and the platform beneath him disappeared. In front of him, a metal table appeared, laden with a diverse selection of weapons. He didn't know why, but his first instinct was to take the short sword in the middle of the table.

As soon as he lifted the weapon from the table, the table disappeared, replaced with a target dummy. Though he had no prior experience, he deftly swung the sword across his torso, slicing the dummy from shoulder to hip. A second appeared, quickly dispatched by a thrust to the gut. The next was beheaded, followed by an uppercut slash that bisected the target.

The table reappeared after the final dummy was destroyed. A semi-automatic rifle was chosen next. A bullseye target appeared in the distance labeled 200 YDS. The teenage boy expertly checked the safety, checked the magazine, charged the rifle, and aimed down the iron sights. He fired all thirty rounds in the magazine. When the final round was expended, the target drifted closer, revealing a decent but unremarkable group of hits.

A combat knife trial followed. Then a bow and arrow. Then a handgun. Brass knuckles. Throwing knives. A sniper rifle. A claymore sword. Grenades.

_You have demonstrated basic proficiency with all standard weapon systems. Take the short sword and select two additional weapons to help you complete the combat portion of the test._

He stared at the table of weapons. The vast array of destructive instruments in front of him paralyzed him with indecision. The throwing knives could be used as both projectiles and melee weapons, but the grenades would give him a large area of effect. The bow was silent and had lots of stopping power. A club would be able to block attacks and push enemies around more than a gun or blade. Brass knuckles would be an ever-ready last resort.

_Choose quickly._

He selected a combat knife and the semi-auto rifle. He slung the rifle over his shoulder and attached the combat knife sheath to his belt. As soon as he finished, a crowd of squat black creatures with glowing yellow eyes and twitching antennae appeared around him. Taking the initiative, he lunged forward, slashing at one of the black monsters. It vaporized into thin wisps of black smoke before vanishing from existence entirely. The remainder of the group charged him, awkwardly jumping and lumbering over each other to be first into the fight. Each was dispatched with a deft swing of the sword.

_Well done. You are about to enter the second phase of the test._

For the first time, he felt a twinge of panic at that statement. Second phase?

_Until this point, your emotional responses have been neutralized to gain a baseline reading of your physical abilities. These responses will now be reactivated to evaluate your abilities while under emotional stress._

This time, when the creatures reappeared, fear gripped him and held him fast. It was only a last-minute automatic response that brought the sword up in front of him as one of the creatures threw itself at him. Desperately, he tried to escape the enclosure the monsters had created around him. He poked and jabbed at the ring, trying to force an opening. But every time he turned his back, another one of the black creatures attacked him. He was like a moose trapped by a wolf pack.

Finally, when he turned to face another threat, he snapped around and blindly swung the sword, cutting his attacker in two. Seizing the opportunity, he sprinted for the newly created hole in the formation, escaping the ring of creatures. They pursued him, turning the organized attack into a frenzied chase. When he had put just enough distance between himself and the horde, he quickly stopped and turned to face the creatures, dealing each a fatal blow as they caught up with him.

Just as the last of the black monsters vanished into smoke, more appeared in the distance. He stowed the sword and raised the rifle, sighting on the nearest pair of glowing eyes. _Crack_. The first vaporized. _Crack_ _crack_. Another fell. He fired until every bullet was spent; yet the charges persisted. He drew the knife, the blade extending below his clenched fist.

As the first creature approached, he swung at it with a right hook, bringing the blade across what looked like the creature's head. It vanished like the others. Several more fell to quick slashes and jabs until the last one jumped at him. He swatted it to the ground with his free hand and pinned it beneath his foot. He raised the knife and buried it to the hilt, bringing the assault to an end.

_Well done. You have completed the first phase of the test. Approximately 99.97 percent of test subjects do not survive the first phase. Out of 56,971 test subjects, you are the tenth to survive. Your status is henceforth changed from test subject to candidate. In conjunction with your status change, you will be given the codename Jet. You will be referred to as such for the remainder of the test._

He thought about what he had just been told. _I'm the tenth to survive out of, like, fifty thousand people? Did they die? Did they just forget the whole thing?_

"_Jet"… I could get used to that.

* * *

_

Ten hours passed. The test continued through three more phases, each containing consistently more difficult and strenuous physical, mental, and combat-scenario challenges. By the end of the whole ordeal, Jet was utterly exhausted.

_Congratulations, Jet. Candidates Alpha, Caste, and Dogma all failed the last segment of the test. You beat the record time set by Canditate Iris for fastest completion, as well. Are you prepared for the next portion of the test?_

Jet was bent over, his hands supporting his weight on his knees and his breathing labored. "As ready… as I'm gonna… get… I guess…"

_Remember that Candidates Bomber and Force both decided to continue the test despite reaching the extent of their physical abilities and failed._

"I'm ready."

_Very well. The final segment of the test will begin in ten seconds._

Jet's heart sank as he felt the ground begin to shake. An enormous black creature rose out of the ground, towering hundreds of feet above the comparatively insect-like candidate. Instead of a chest, the monster had a heart-shaped hole in the center of its torso. Jet immediately retreated, but his legs wouldn't carry him away from the giant beast. At a certain point, he simply couldn't move anymore. He'd have to face the monstrosity one-on-one.

His first instinct was to draw his rifle and fire. But after expending an entire magazine into the beast's head, he could see it was having no effect. He dropped the rifle to the ground, abandoning it in favor of the increased agility he'd have without it. He drew his sword, trying to determine a way he could harm the massive foe before him.

A giant fist was raised. Jet dove and rolled, avoiding the crushing blow. He sprang back to his feet, slashing at the monster's hand and forearm. Small tendrils of black smoke issued from his strikes, reminiscent of the aftermath of the destruction of the yellow-eyed creatures from before. Encouraged, he continued to attack the giant forearm until it lifted above his reach, readying for another strike. However, instead of a physical attack, the beast fell to its knees, forming an ominous ball of energy in the hole in its torso.

Jet watched as the ball spouted many smaller orbs, all of which instantly turned on him. He ran to his right, deflecting any energy orb that came too close. When the barrage stopped, the dark beast rose to its feet again. Jet tried to approach the thing's feet, but was swept away in one motion by the monster above him. Recovering, he tried again, jumping over the monster's broad defensive gesture.

Summoning his final reserves of strength, he pulled the combat knife and sank both his bladed instruments into the beast's leg. He pulled the knife out and drove it in again, higher than the first strike. He repeated the motion with his sword, slowly ascending the monster's leg.

The beast didn't let the candidate climb up its body without a struggle, however. It attempted to shake him off, but Jet's grip held firm. All attempts to manually pick him off were stymied by a wild one-handed swinging of whatever bladed weapon was free at the time. When Jet finally reached the black monster's head, it savagely swung itself about in a desperate attempt to remove the attacker.

However, it only served to dizzy the great creature, leaving it vulnerable as Jet began attacking its head. Each strike created more and more black smoke until the entire creature began to dissolve. It slowly faded to mist as Jet scrambled to get closer to the ground before he fell through the monster's ever-thinning corporeal form. He managed to reach a safe distance before losing purchase entirely, collapsing on the ground, utterly unable to move from the effort.

_Congratulations, Jet. You have completed the test. You are ready to fulfill one of the most important roles in the universe._

Jet was lifted to his feet by an unseen force. He could feel his muscles being rejuvenated and his wounds healing. His exhaustion was assuaged, replaced by a vitality that he had never known before. He felt stronger. He felt smarter. His physical form was being sculpted by a master artisan right before his eyes.

_You will become one of the most powerful entities in the universe. The powers that will be granted to you exist only in legend._

A small mote of energy, barely a pinprick, faded into existence in front of him. It grew and grew, pulsing with a dark energy that coursed through it. Jet was entranced by it. It was beautiful and terrifying at the same time. He reached out to it, amazed by what he saw.

_You will become an Agent of Darkness._

Jet's fingers brushed the orb. It burst with a massive explosion. Jet threw up his arms to protect himself. The orb's contents flowed around him, wrapping him in glowing tendrils of energy before completely encasing him in a scintillating mixture of dark blues, purples, and reds. The energy slowly absorbed into his body, bringing with it a new feeling of uncontrollable power.

The feeling consumed him. He could feel his heart racing, his vision becoming blurry. It felt as though he was harboring an unimaginable energy inside him, straining and pushing at him from the inside out. As he began to lose consciousness, he could only choke out one word.

"Why?"

As he collapsed to the ground, the voice answered.

_Terrible events are on the horizon, Jet. Events that threaten to destroy the delicate balance between light and darkness that keeps the universe in order. Light, even with its valiant heroes, cannot stop these forces alone. To preserve the natural order, the two forces of the universe must fight side by side to stop them._

_You will be the darkness.

* * *

_

A/N: Well, it's been quite some time since I updated at all, and even longer since I updated this. I intend to update more frequently from here on out. Now that I have regular and predictable free time, this should be more achievable.

I intend to finish _Fortress World_ within a couple of weeks. There's only one chapter left, so I want it to be a good one. This will be a running project with semi-connected stories for as long as I can think of things to write about. It's been waaaaaayyy too long since I've updated _The Enemy Within_, so that will come soon after the _FW_ update. Till then, this takes a back seat. I hope you enjoyed Chapter II!


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